Tennis player Ons Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, has announced that she is taking a break from professional tennis.
On her social media account, she said: “For the past two years, I’ve been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges. But deep down, I haven’t truly felt happy on the court for some time now.”
The athlete added: “Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it’s time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living.”
Jabeur also acknowledged and thanked the support that she received from all her fans on her sporting journey: “Thank you to all my fans for understanding. Your support and love mean the world to me. I carry it with me always.”
“Even while I’m away from the court, I’ll continue to stay close and connected in different ways, and share this journey with you all,” she added.
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Netizens expressed their support in the comments section. One netizen commented: “Wishing you peace and healing, Ons 🫂 you’ve truly made history in your own way!”
Another netizen remarked: “Your health, mental and physical, is the most important thing! Get back soon but no pressure ❤️”
Billie Jean King, the former American World No. 1 and a renowned figure in tennis, also showed her support by commenting: “Sending you our support and wishing you a healing break. You’ll return stronger than ever.”
Athletes such as Aryna Sabalenka, Amanda Anisimova, and Naomi Osaka commented as well: “We will miss you ❤️”, “We love you ❤️”, and “You make everyone happy just by being Ons!”
Others also expressed their support, encouraging Jabeur to prioritise her well-being and reminding her that she had already inspired millions. Many acknowledged that the decision couldn’t have been easy, sending her love, strength, and warm wishes for her journey ahead.
In her tennis career, Ons Jabeur has had many injuries after reaching her best ranking. The athlete stopped playing in September last year due to a shoulder injury. In 2023, she hurt her calf. This caused her to quit her match against Jasmine Paolini at the Miami Open in March, though she was winning.
Her latest and last match also ended early as she had to stop while losing in the first round of Wimbledon against Viktoriya Tomova.
With this, Jabeur admitted: “I’m really sad. It doesn’t really help me with my confidence and what I keep pushing myself to do, even though it was a very tough season for me. So I hope I’m going to feel better and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
